Approaching Storm
by ImmaPickle
Summary: Anakin Skywalker has no memory of his father, so when a mysterious bounty hunter shows up claiming to be the long lost Aleck Skywalker, Anakin wants nothing more than to believe him, but Aleck has a shady past and a dark secret; one that threatens to either drive Anakin closer to the dark side or save him from it
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

 _The red sun of Amma was sinking low on the horizon filling the normally bland desert landscape with brilliant colours. A toddler sat on a rooftop, flanked by his parents. The trio admired the raw natural beauty of the planet, watching as the sun was seemingly swallowed by the sand. The toddlers eyes were round with wonder as the brilliant colours painted by the sun faded into darkness._

 _"It's beautiful." He whispered._

 _The boy's mother smiled warmly at him, "Yes it is."_

 _The stars began to twinkle in the darkening sky; thousands upon thousands of them for all to see._

 _"Someday I'm going to visit all of the stars!" The toddler stated._

 _His father chuckled, "I'm sure you will Ani, and I will come with you."_

 _"Come Ani," the woman said, "It is long past your bedtime."_

 _Ani jumped to his feet and ran down the stairs, followed closely by his parents._

 _"When I'm grown up I'm gonna be the best pilot in the entire galaxy," Ani was saying, "And I'm gonna be a great hero and I'll save people and free slaves and-" Ani's words were cut off as he ran into a tall imposing man._

 _"Hello little Skywalker." The man said with a sinister smile._

 _"Dylan." Ani's father growled, "Get out of my house."_

 _"You owe us Skywalker," Dylan said, "But if you give us your wife and son, I'll forgive your debt."_

 _"Never."_

 _Dylan's eyes narrowed, "We'll take them by force then."_

 _Ani and his mother are once again watching the sun set over the desert, but it is a different desert and they are sitting on a different rooftop. Ani is no longer a toddler. He looks to be around seven years old._

 _"Mom," Ani says, "Is Dad ever going to find us and rescue us?"_

 _Ani's mother smiles, but her eyes remain sad, "Your father is the most caring person in the galaxy." She replied, "He will never stop looking for us."_

Anakin awakened suddenly, drenched in a cold sweat. It took a few moments to shake off the dream and when he did he saw Padmé's brown eyes blinking at him in the dark.

"Ani what is it?" She asked.

"Nothing." Anakin lied, "Just a dream." He wished his words were true, but deep down he knew they weren't.

* * *

The feeble sunlight slanted through the window, signifying dawn. Had he still been asleep, the rays of sunlight probably would have awoken Obi-Wan, but they found him very much awake and pacing back and forth across the room.

Obi-Wan hadn't gotten much sleep during the night and the little amount that he'd had was plagued by troubling dreams. He had seen Anakin in pain and he had seen a bounty hunter out for revenge.

No matter how much he tried, Obi-Wan couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something terrible was going to happen soon.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Aleck Skywalker stood just outside of the Lars home gathering his courage. He was scared that this would end up being another wild goose chase and he didn't know if he could handle another disappointment. Aleck had been searching for his lost wife and son for nineteen years, ever since they had been taken from him by the Enslavers.

Aleck gathered his courage and knocked. A few moments passed before a young man opened the door.

"Hello," The young man said.

"Hello." Aleck replied, "I'm looking for Cliegg Lars."

The young mans face fell, "I'm sorry." He said, "Cliegg was my father. He passed away a few months ago."

"I am sorry for your loss." Aleck responded, "I was hoping that he could help me."

"Well, maybe I can assist you." The young man said, "I'm Owen by the way, and you are?"

"Aleck. Aleck Skywalker."

Owen's eyes widened, "Skywalker? That's my step-brothers last name!"

Aleck started, "Step-brother? Who's your step-brother?"

"Anakin Skywalker. I've only met him once, he came here just before his mother died" Owen replied.

Aleck had to resist the urge to cry out in despair, "Shmi is dead?" He whispered.

Owen seemed to sense his deep sadness, "I'm sorry. She was a wonderful person. If you don't mind me asking, how do you know Shmi?"

"She was my wife." Aleck responded then he continued quickly, "Do you know where Anakin is?"

Owen shook his head, "No, but he's a Jedi Knight, so he's probably on Coruscant."

Anakin is a Jedi Knight? Aleck smiled, "Thank you for your help Owen."

"Anytime."

Aleck turned and left the moisture farm, his mind racing. Anakin and Shmi must have been freed from slavery and Anakin had been taken away to the Jedi Temple while Shmi stayed behind and remarried. Shmi remarried. It hurt Aleck to think about it. _Did she not trust that I would find her? Did she not love me anymore?_ Aleck pushed these thoughts to the back of his mind. He needed to focus on finding Anakin.

He climbed aboard his ship and set the coordinates for Coruscant.

* * *

The peace and serenity of the Jedi Temple did nothing to sooth Anakin's restless mind. In fact it only elevated his sense of restlessness. His hands itched to be doing something and his mind was racing with thoughts faster than he could comprehend. The only thought that was consistent was that of his father.

Anakin's recent dream bothered him more than he let on. He had no memories of his father, only the stories that his mother had told him. He didn't know if the dream was a long forgotten memory, or just some part of his imagination. The dream had opened a door to many forgotten feelings about his father. Anakin remembered idolizing him as a child; Imagining him as a great hero that would come and free the slaves, but as the years went by that hope disappeared. He began to believe that his father didn't care about him or that he was dead. Either way, Anakin believed that he would never see his father again. Anakin sighed. He hadn't thought about his father for years and now all of a sudden he couldn't think of anything but his father. Was he even still alive?

"Anakin?" Obi-Wan's voice startled Anakin out of his reverie, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Anakin replied. Obi-Wan wouldn't understand his feelings. He would probably just tell him to let go of the past and forget, but Anakin didn't want to forget. Anakin could tell that Obi-Wan didn't believe him but he didn't press the subject.

"The council has a mission for you." Obi-Wan said, "You are to be briefed on it immediately."

"Just me?" Anakin asked, "That's odd, normally you and I work together."

"I'm headed for Vanqor, but Shyreea will join you." Obi-Wan replied.

Anakin nodded and couldn't help feeling excited. He hadn't seen Shyreea for several months. When they were Padawans, Anakin and Shyreea had become close friends, and they often trained together.

"When do you leave for Vanqor?" Anakin asked Obi-Wan.

"Right now. There's been rumours of separatist activity and the council wants me to see if they're true."

"Well, may the force be with you Master."

"May the force be with you too Anakin. This will not be an easy assignment." Obi-Wan looked uneasy about something, "Be careful."

Anakin cracked a smile, "When am I not?"

Obi-Wan did not smile back, "I'm serious Anakin."

Anakin felt a twinge of worry, "Is everything alright Master?"

Obi-Wan nodded, but he seemed distracted, "Yes, I'm fine. I should be leaving now. Goodbye Anakin."

"Goodbye Master." As Anakin watched Obi-Wan walk away a feeling of foreboding grew. Was he in danger? If so, what did Obi-Wan know about it? Maybe it had something to do with his mission. Anakin decided that he'd better go and find out what his new mission was.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Gayzzon had been trained not to feel. Ever since before he could remember he had always been told that emotions were weakness. In order for him to successfully do his job he must remain aloof and desensitized, and yet as he looked at the picture of the young senator her felt a twinge of longing.

She was beautiful and she was smart. She was a great ally to the republic and an advocate for the people. From what he could tell, Padmé Amidala was an amazing woman. She would someday be a wonderful wife and mother. She would have a family. That was a luxury that Gayzzon would never have. He would never fall in love, or be loved. He was doomed to live out his life alone, with no one to care for him.

Gayzzon chastised himself for his moment of weakness. His own personal needs did not matter. The sole purpose of his existence was to please his masters. He was born, bred, and trained to be a puppet.

Gayzzon shuddered to think of what Dimitri would do if he ever found out that Gayzzon had wished for something. Dimitri would surely punish him severely. It would take days, weeks, for Gayzzon to fully recover. It was explicitly forbidden to wish for anything.

 _I am not my own person. I am a slave to the masters and I will do their bidding. I do not think, I do not feel. I am worth nothing; less than nothing_. Gayzzon began reciting in his mind the words that had been drilled into him since before he could remember.

Padmé Amidala would die by his hand and he would feel nothing.

 _I am not my own person. I am a slave to the masters..._

* * *

Shyreea Jade sat frozen in her seat; a picture of serenity. She radiated calmness and peace as she was deep in meditation; one with the force.

Shyreea's calmness was juxtaposed by Anakin in every way possible. She was still, he was in constant movement. She was calm, he was restless. She was enveloped in the light side of the force, Anakin was inching closer to the dark.

"Padmé!" Anakin cried, "I can't believe that they would target Padmé"

"Anakin, stop yelling please. I am trying to meditate." Shyreea said.

Anakin sat down next to her, "Sorry. I… I'm just worried about Padmé."

Shyreea opened her eyes and looked at Anakin, "I know, but getting angry will not help."

Anakin sighed, "I know, I know."

Shyreea closed her eyes and tried to return to her meditation, but her thoughts turned to Anakin instead.

Anakin was one of Shyreea's closest and oldest friends. She had become a Padawan around the same time that he had, and as a result they often trained together. They had been through a lot together and Shyreea trusted Anakin completely, despite his tendency to let his emotions control him.

Shyreea let out a frustrated sigh, "Now you've destroyed my ability to concentrate." She said.

"Sorry." Anakin replied not sounding sorry at all, "Let me try." He closed his eyes and began to meditate, drawing on the power of the force. Shyreea had always admired Anakin's raw ability to manipulate the force and use its power. Sometimes she found herself envying it, but in those rare moments she reminded herself that she was powerful in her own way and she didn't need Anakin's power to be a great Jedi Knight.

"I see…" Anakin began but then he paused, "A restaurant here on Coruscant… One of the waiters…" Then his eyes snapped open, "Tonight, the attack is going to happen tonight."

"Well," Shyreea replied, "We should probably go talk to Padmé."

* * *

The Skysitter Restaurant was packed with obviously wealthy people from all around the Galaxy. Padmé Amidala sat with Bail Organa, Mon Montha and several other galactic senators at a table near the window, allowing for a magnificent view of the city. The senators were joined by two Jedi Knights and at every door there were senatorial guards.

Gayzzon cursed to himself. There would be no opportunities to attack the senator in this environment. The security was too much and with two Jedi Knights he wouldn't be able to lay a finger on her. Slowly he backed out of the restaurant.

Once outside Gayzzon scanned the row of parked speeders looking for the one that the senator had arrived in. It was the one parked the furthest away, and the driver was fast asleep. Gayzzon sighed. He could crash the speeder, but it might come at the cost of his own life, and his masters wouldn't like that. Gayzzon's mission was to kill senators one by one, so if he died while killing the first one, than his mission was a failure.

He'd have to figure something out, and soon.

* * *

Anakin groaned and checked his chrono, "She's been saying 'goodbye' for ten minutes now!" He muttered to Shyreea, "How long does it take?"

"Patience Anakin." Shyreea replied, "She's a woman and these people are her friends."

Anakin rolled his eyes. He knew that Shyreea was right and that he needed to be patient, but it was hard with the nagging sense of danger that he'd had. He wanted to get out of the restaurant as fast as possible before something bad happened.

Finally, after an eternity, Padmé rejoined the two Jedi Knights and the trio made their way to her speeder.

"I'm ready for bed." Padmé said, sinking into her seat, "That was a long evening."

"I though you enjoyed politics." Shyreea said teasingly.

"I do," Padmé replied, "but that wasn't politics, that was senseless arguing." Suddenly she looked very tired, as if the weight of the republic was on her shoulders. Anakin wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her and tell her that everything would be okay. He wanted to take her away from the war and carry all of her burdens for her, but he couldn't because he was a Jedi and she was a senator and they weren't supposed to be married.

The driver started the speeder and began to make the long trip back to Padmé's apartment. Anakin was silent as he watched the city fly past him. He would much rather be back on Naboo in the lake country with Padmé, away from danger, away from the war, away from mysterious dreams. Just him and Padmé, husband and wife.

"It appears that we need to refuel." The driver said breaking Anakin's train of thought.

Padmé sighed, "Alright, but make it quick."

The driver nodded and pulled over and climbed out to refuel.

"I sense that you are still in danger senator." Shyreea said.

"I though for sure that something was going to happen at the restaurant." Anakin continued, "I guess I was wrong."

"Nevertheless, we will remain vigilant in protecting you." Shyreea finished.

"Thank you." Padmé responded, "Let's hope that the threat passes quickly."

Shyreea opened her mouth to respond but she paused and a look of fear crossed her face.

"I sense it too," Anakin said, "get out of the speeder now!"

Padmé, Shyreea and Anakin leaped out of the speeder and began running just as it exploded in a brilliant flash of light.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

It had been years since Aleck had last been to Coruscant and he was amazed at how much the city had grown. Not only had its size changed, but also its character. The Coruscant Aleck remembered had been crowded, but filled with hope; now that hope was all but gone. The city's atmosphere was choked with darkness and fear and Aleck wondered how anyone could possibly survive in such lightless place. He'd only been on the planet for three days and already he could feel the relentless despair invading his thoughts.

 _What if Anakin is dead? What if he doesn't want to see me? What if all my searching was for nothing?_

Aleck pushed these poisonous thoughts out of his head as he continued down the street. There was no time to think like that. He needed to focus on finding his son.

"Aleck Skywalker?" A young voice asked, "I thought you were dead!"

Aleck turned to see the source of the voice and was faced by a young man who looked to be in his twenties.

"Gayzzon?" The last time Aleck had seen Gayzzon, he had been a mere seven years old. That had been twenty years ago and Gayzzon had grown considerably. His dark hair had darkened even more, almost to black, and his light blue eyes that had been so full of emotion were now lifeless and cold. Aleck wouldn't have recognized Gayzzon if it hadn't been for the burn scar across his face. Aleck remembered the scar because he was the one that gave it to Gayzzon.

Gayzzon's brows knitted together, "My masters will not like this. I do not want to deviate from my current mission." Then he turned and ran down the deserted Coruscant street.

"Wait!" Aleck called and began to chase after him, but the sound of an explosion stopped him. Aleck whipped around and saw a man and two women stumbling away from the wreckage of a speeder.

"Padmé!" The man said, "Are you alright?"

"The driver!" Yelled the blond woman, pulling out a green lightsaber, "He's gone!"

"Are you guys alright?" Aleck asked, running up to the small group.

"Yes, we're fine." The man said curtly.

"Who did this?" The brown haired woman asked.

The blonde woman angrily kicked a piece of the wreckage away, "I'll bet it was the driver." She growled, "He's no where to be found."

"A man just ran off that way." Aleck pointed in the direction that Gayzzon had gone, "He was the only other person on the street."

The blonde woman looked down the street and nodded, "Thank you. Anakin, you stay with Padmé, I'll see if I can catch the driver." Then she ran off in pursuit of Gayzzon.

 _Anakin?_

Aleck turned to the remaining two people, "What happened?" He asked, but he didn't hear the response. He was too busy scrutinizing the mans features. He looks like a younger version of me…

"-and now we have no way of getting home." Anakin finished angrily, "You should've let me drive." He said to Padmé.

 _Should I tell him?_ "I have a speeder that you can borrow." Aleck replied.

"Well now we have to wait for Shyreea to get back and force knows how long it'll take her to catch the driver!" Anakin was obviously frustrated with the whole situation. Padmé placed a calming hand on his arm.

"Anakin, just relax." She said, "Nobody got hurt and Shyreea will catch the driver and everything will be okay."

"Actually…" Aleck said reluctantly, "She probably won't catch the driver."

"Why not?" Anakin asked skeptically.

"Because he was a Knight of Amma." Aleck replied, "They're not easily caught. Sure enough Shyreea came running back.

"I lost him." She said regretfully.

"See?"

Anakin glared at Aleck, his gaze filled with mistrust, "What do you know about these Knights of Amma?"

"A lot actually."

"I think you'd better come with us."

* * *

Gayzzon paced back and forth in the small room he was renting. He had easily escaped the Jedi, but now Aleck was with them and Aleck would tell them about the Knights. Fury burned within Gayzzon at the thought of Aleck; he'd love to spill Skywalker's blood.

Gayzzon knelt and activated his comm-link.

"What?" Dimitri's annoyed voice sounded throughout the room.

"Master, I have run into difficulties."

"Like what."

"I have found Aleck Skywalker."

There was a long drawn out silence and Gayzzon figured that Dimitri must be talking to the other masters. Finally there was a reply.

"Abandon your mission and come back to Amma. We have a new job for you."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

"The Knights of Amma are a group of incredibly skillful and deadly assassins. They are trained to kill since birth and they will do whatever it takes to kill their target. If the Knights have targeted Senator Amidala, they will not stop until she is dead." Aleck explained.

Anakin was overcome with a crippling sense of fear for Padmé. _She will not die. I will protect her._

"But why?" Mace Windu asked, "Why would these 'Knights' target Senator Amidala?"

Aleck shrugged, "I'm guessing they were hired to do it."

"Know much about these Knights, how do you?" Yoda asked.

"What?" Aleck responded. Anakin held back a laugh. It wasn't the first time someone had been confused by Yoda's backwards speech.

"How do you know so much about these Knights?" Mace translated.

Aleck's face fell, "I used to live on Amma. I was once part of them, but I renounced their ways almost thirty years ago."

Yoda nodded, "Keep you around, we will. Useful to us, you may be."

"Yes Master Yoda." Aleck replied, "I'll be happy to help in anyway that I can."

"Do you have a surname?" Anakin asked.

Aleck hesitated for a fraction of a second, "When you are a Knight of Amma, you do not have a surname. I don't know what mine was before I was taken."

Aleck wasn't telling the whole truth, that much Anakin could tell. But why would he hide his surname from the Jedi. It didn't make sense. There was something off about Aleck. Anakin felt almost as if he knew Aleck from somewhere, but he couldn't remember where.

"Anakin will show you to one of the guest rooms." Mace said, "You should be comfortable there until you find a more permanent residence."

"Thank you."

Anakin led the way down the halls, Aleck following close behind.

"So," Anakin said, "What brings you to Coruscant?"

"I'm looking for my son." Aleck replied, "He's here somewhere."

"Well, maybe I can help." Anakin said, "Who is he?"

Aleck pondered for a second then said, "I hear he's quite famous actually. He's a General in the Grand Army of the Republic."

Anakin stopped abruptly, "He's a Jedi?"

"He's looking at me."

Anakin couldn't stop his mouth from dropping open. He didn't sense that Aleck was lying, but the statement sounded so bizarre, so unreal. Anger swelled in his chest and as much as he tried to push it down, he couldn't.

"Where were you?" Anakin snarled, "Where were you when Mom and I needed you most?"

"What? Anakin I-"

"Mom died! She's dead because you never came and saved us! You left us to be slaves!" Anakin yelled.

"Anakin!" Aleck yelled back, "I have spent the last twenty years scouring every part of the Galaxy for you and your mother! I never stopped looking! Never!"

"Yeah? Well you're too late." Anakin replied coldly, "Great job." Then he turned and walked away, pretending that he didn't see the tears welling in Aleck's eyes.

* * *

"Anakin wait!" Aleck ran to catch up but Anakin continued to ignore him, "Anakin!" Aleck placed his hand on Anakin's arm.

"I don't want to talk to you." Anakin turned and glared at Aleck and suddenly Aleck was very afraid. Anakin's blue eyes were icy cold and filled with anger and hurt.

"Anakin," Aleck continued in a softer voice, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I didn't find you in time. I sorry that I couldn't save your mother, and I am so so sorry for not being there when you needed me. I searched every inch of the Galaxy to find you and I'm sorry that I didn't search faster."

Anakin's eyes softened and he sighed, "It's not your fault." He said softly, "Sometimes it's easier to blame the pain on someone."

The two Skywalker's stood silently in the hallway as other Jedi passed by, completely oblivious to the father-son pair.

"Why didn't you tell Master Yoda?" Anakin asked after an eternity.

"Before you and your mother were taken, the Jedi visited us and told us that they would take you away and train you when you were old enough, but that we would no longer be allowed to see us." Aleck responded, "I figured that if Yoda found out I was your father, then I wouldn't be allowed to see you."

Anakin nodded, "You're probably right. But they'll find out eventually."

Aleck didn't want to think about what would happen if the Jedi Masters found out that he was Anakin's father. He had just been reunited with Anakin and he didn't want to leave him.

"I suppose I should show you to your quarters now." Anakin said awkwardly. Aleck agreed and the pair continued walking down the hall.

Later that night as Aleck lay in his bed he couldn't get the image of Anakin's icy eyes out of his mind. Aleck couldn't deny that there was a darkness to Anakin, but he was also filled with light. Aleck could tell that Anakin was struggling balancing the darkness and the light within him; but Aleck feared that one day Anakin would let the darkness consume him.

He couldn't let that happen. He _wouldn't_ let that happen.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

 _Three months later..._

Aleck ran through the halls of the Jedi temple, desperately hoping he remembered the way to the briefing room. He had received only a short tour of the expansive temple and he had not had time to memorize where everything was before he had found an apartment. This was the first time in two and a half months that the Jedi had bothered to contact him and it was only because they needed him.

 _Nice of you guys to make sure I was okay._ Aleck thought bitterly.

Aleck rounded the corner and breathed a sigh of relief. The briefing room was just at the end of this hallway. There were several people grouped around the door, waiting to go in.

"Hello Aleck." Shyreea said as Aleck joined the group, "It's been a while."

"Yes, it has. Am I late?"

"No," An older man with ginger hair and beard said, "But I know someone who will be."

"Anakin will get here Obi-Wan." Shyreea replied, "Not on time mind you, but he will get here."

Aleck felt a rush of nervousness. He and Anakin hadn't spoken much since the day they met, and when they had, the conversations had been brief and tense.

"Any idea what this new mission is?" Shyreea asked.

"No." Obi-Wan replied, "But I believe it has something to do with Senator Amidala's upcoming trip to Anayta."

"You're probably right." Shyreea said.

"I'm Obi-Wan Kenobi," Obi-Wan said, turning to Aleck, "and you are?"

"Aleck."

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow, "No surname?"

"If I had one, I don't know it."Aleck replied.

"Come in, come in you must!" Yoda declared, opening the door to the briefing room.

"Master!" Anakin ran down the hall, looking flustered, "Sorry I'm late."

Shyreea widened her eyes in pretend shock, "Anakin? Late? Who would've guessed?"

"What were you doing?" Obi-Wan asked.

"I was repairing my starship." Anakin replied.

Obi-Wan sighed, "If you spent as much time honing your force abilities as you do working on that starship, you'd be a Jedi Master by now."

"I'm sorry Master."

"Time for chatter, now is not." Yoda said, "Come inside you must."

Curious about his part in the new mission, Aleck followed the Jedi into the briefing room.

* * *

"I don't like this." Padmé said, pacing back and forth, "I what if something happens to you? Or Obi-Wan?"

Anakin sat on the couch, watching as Padmé vented her frustrations, "Don't you trust us?" He replied, "We're Jedi Knights, we can handle ourselves."

"I still don't like this." Padmé replied, "Why can't you and Shyreea just be my security guards? That's worked for three months?"

"That's not the point of this plot." Anakin said, standing up, "The point is to make the assassin think that you don't have Jedi security anymore and hopefully he'll finally reveal himself."

"What if he's given up? No ones attacked me for three months!"

"According to Aleck, these Knights of Amma don't give up."

"And that's another thing! Why did the Jedi Council have to bring Aleck into this plot?"

Anakin sighed, "Padmé," he said, pulling her into a hug, "Trust me. Everything will be okay. We'll catch this assassin and you'll be safe."

"What if I don't want you to catch the assassin?"

Anakin pulled away from the hug, "What?"

Padmé sighed, "You've been assigned to protect me Ani, you've been home for three months. If you catch this assassin, they'll just send you back out to the war and I won't see you for months and months!"

"Padmé, I don't want to leave either, but I can't stand the thought that you might be in danger." Anakin replied, "This is for the best."

"I know."

Padmé and Anakin stood silently for a few moments, watching as the sun set over the busy landscape of Coruscant. After several minutes of peaceful silence Padmé giggled.

"What?" Anakin asked.

"You have to be mute." She replied, "Finally we'll get some peace and quiet."

"Oh no, not you too!" Anakin groaned, "Shyreea and Obi-Wan have already teased me mercilessly about this!"

Padmé just laughed.

* * *

Aleck paced back and forth in his small apartment thinking about the plot. It was complicated, but it was necessary.

Senator Amidala was going to the planet Anayta, to negotiate peace or something like that. Aleck didn't understand politics, he just knew that they involved a lot or arguing.

While visiting King Arald, Padmé would be seemingly unaccompanied by Jedi, but they would secretly be scattered amongst the native Anaytans. Obi-Wan was going undercover as a palace servant, Shyreea would be the King's niece; Alissa Menti, and Anakin was going to be a baron's son; Christen Karlind.

As for Aleck, he was playing the part of Baron Malachi Karlind. Ironically enough, he was playing the part of Anakin's father.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Aleck stared out the window at the passing countryside in awe. The grasslands stretched on as far as the eye could see, with not a tree in sight. In some ways it was similar to the desert on Amma, but the grasslands had a completely different feel to it. The Amman desert was filled with mystery and it was familiar, the sand dunes were welcoming, calling people to adventure. The Anaytan grasslands seemed impossibly large and they made Aleck feel very small and very insignificant. They were whispering to him that he was unimportant and Aleck felt an overwhelming feeling of melancholy.

Aleck glanced to the other side of the transport where Anakin was promptly ignoring him.

"You know," Aleck said, breaking the silence, "Christian Karlind is supposedly very outgoing and happy. I highly doubt that he sulks in corners."

"I'm not sulking." Anakin muttered.

Aleck raised an eyebrow, "And Christian and Malachi are supposedly really close, you wouldn't want to blow our cover by ignoring me."

Anakin finally turned and scrutinized Aleck. Since they had been reunited, Anakin had barely spoken to Aleck. Since their argument, Anakin had seemingly gone out of his way to avoid his father and Aleck didn't know what to do about it. He didn't want to push Anakin, but he didn't want to be ignored by him either. Secretly Aleck was glad he had asked to join this mission. It gave him a chance to spend time with his son, wether Anakin liked it or not.

"I don't know anything about you." Anakin said after an eternity.

Aleck was surprised by Anakin's statement, "Well… what do you want to know?"

Anakin pondered the question for a few moments before saying, "So I guess Amma is my home planet. What's it like?"

Aleck sighed happily, "Amma is… Well it's beautiful. It's mostly desert, and the desert has a personality, it's a beautiful mysterious force that fills the atmosphere with mystery and adventure. The town where we lived was called Kesh. It was in a large oasis at the base of the Omar Mountains and faced the Nahi Desert. There was very little technology is Kesh, and we relied mostly on animals for transport. Once a month merchants from the capital city, Okan, would bring us supplies, and for the rest of the time, we lived off the land. There was a pass through the mountains to the jungle on the other side and we hunted there. We lived a simple life, but it was a good one."

Anakin eyes were wide, "It sounds nice."

"It was." Aleck replied, "Every night you, your mother and I would watch the sun set over the desert and you would talk about how someday you would go visit all of the stars."

"I thought you were part of the Knights of Amma?" Anakin asked, "Why did you leave?"

"I left because I fell in love." Aleck replied, "As one of the youngest Knights I was tasked with going to Kesh to pick up our supplies once a month. The merchants refused to travel into the Omar Desert because of the dangerous nomad tribes the lived there, so we had to send someone to go get supplies. On one of my supply runs I met Shmi and we became friends. I was sixteen and she was fifteen at the time. Whenever I had free time, I would sneak away and see Shmi.

"Much like the Jedi Order, the Knights of Amma are forbidden to form attachments, but I couldn't help myself. I fell in love with Shmi Skywalker and on her sixteenth birthday, we were married."

"That's a little young, isn't it?" Anakin asked.

Aleck shrugged, "It was normal on Amma to marry young. Anyways, about two months after we were married, Shmi told me she was pregnant. That's the day the I renounced the Knights."

"And they didn't hunt you down?"

"It's against our rules to harm a fellow Knight, and even though I had left, I was still considered a Knight of Amma."

Anakin nodded, then his brow scrunched in confusion, "Wait… something doesn't add up… Mom didn't have me when she was sixteen…"

"No." Aleck said sadly, "She had you when she was twenty-two. She had your sister, Jayda when she was sixteen and then two years later she had your brother Carsh."

Anakin reeled in shock, "I have siblings?" He cried.

"Had. Jayda and Carsh were killed when you were just a baby." Aleck replied, "Your mother didn't tell you about them?"

Anakin shook his head, "No, she didn't."

"What about you?" Aleck asked, "I don't know anything about you either. Tell me."

Anakin was silent for a few seconds, but then he began to talk. He told about how he and Shmi were owned by Gardulla the Hutt and how they had been lost to Watto. He talked about meeting Qui-Gon Jinn and being freed from slavery. He told Aleck about Qui-Gon's death and how he became Obi-Wan's apprentice, then he related the story of how the Clone Wars began, and how he had become a Jedi Knight.

"I don't know what I'll do when the war is over." Anakin said, "I-"

"My Lord," One of the the servants entered the room that Aleck and Anakin had been sitting in, "We have reached the capital."

"Thank you Stephen." Aleck replied. Stephen bowed and left.

"I guess it's time to be mute." Anakin said.

Aleck nodded and the pair walked towards the door.

* * *

Later that night Aleck stood at his balcony is his quarters thinking about the trip to the Anaytan Capital. He was glad the he and Anakin had finally had the chance to talk, and he could feel that they were beginning to bond. However, Aleck was treading on thin ice. One wrong move could destroy his and Anakin's newfound trust.

A nagging voice at the back of his mind whispered, _What if he finds out?_

Aleck shook his head, He won't, he can't.

 _He will._

Aleck firmly pushed the voice away. Anakin couldn't find out about his secret. If he were ever to find out, the small amount of trust that they had would be destroyed.

 _He will hate you forever._


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Obi-Wan climbed to the top of the tree, grabbing apples as he climbed and throwing them down to Don.

"Slow down!" Don called, "I can't catch fast enough!"

Obi-Wan chuckled, "Sorry!" He slowed his pace slightly and continued climbing.

Obi-Wan had been working in the orchard with Don since he arrived a week ago. The weather had been hotter than usual according to Don, but he didn't mind. He enjoyed being able to spend so much time outdoors in the fresh air that was free of the smog that filled Coruscant's atmosphere.

"Ben!" Don called, "The Kings coming!"

Obi-Wan quickly climbed back down the tree and jumped to the ground just as the King came into view. King Arald was accompanied by two men that Obi-Wan immediately recognized. It was Anakin and Aleck.

"This is Don." The King said, "He's in charge of the orchards."

Don bowed and Obi-Wan followed suit.

"Don, this is Baron Malachi Karlind and his son, Christian."

"Pleased to meet you." Aleck said, extending his hand. Obi-Wan was surprised at how natural Aleck looked in the part of the Baron. It was almost as if he was used to being in positions of authority, but his backstory said otherwise.

"Likewise." Don replied.

Anakin made eye contact with Obi-Wan and he could practically hear his former Padawan's teasing.

 _You get to labour outside in the sun while I get to be waited upon._

"This must be our newest employee." King Arald said, turning to Obi-Wan.

"I'm Ben." Obi-Wan replied.

"I'm sure the two of you need to get back to work." Aleck said, "It was very nice meeting you."

"And you." Don replied.

Aleck and Anakin followed the King away from the orchards and Obi-Wan climbed into the tree once more.

* * *

Shyreea stared down at her plate and cringed. She had never been one for seafood; she hated the texture of lobster and it was too salty for her to enjoy.

"Not hungry Alyssa?" King Arald asked, "You've hardly touched your food!"

"I'm afraid I'm feeling a little under the weather." She replied. Shyreea could hear Anakin snickering beside her.

"That's unfortunate." The King responded, "Would you like to retire to your rooms."

"No, no. I think I'll be alright."

"If you don't mind," Padmé put down her fork, "I should like to retire. It's been a long day and I would like to be well rested for tomorrow."

"Of course!" King Arald replied, "I'm sure you're very exhausted Senator. I'll have one of the maids show you to your rooms."

Padmé nodded gratefully and followed a young maid out of the dining room leaving Aleck, Shyreea and Anakin with the King. Once the maid was out of earshot, the King's pleasantly happy face turned serious.

"Any ideas as to who this assassin is?" The King asked, "Padmé is a dear friend and I hate the thought that someone would dare hurt her."

Anakin shook his head, "No idea."

Aleck nodded in agreement, "I didn't see any of the Knights of Amma among the staff, but they may have gained new members since I last saw them."

Shyreea said, "What if they hired a bounty hunter?"

"Not likely." Aleck replied, "The Knights like to do their own dirty work."

"Someone's coming." The King said.

Shyreea sighed, "Back to small talk." She hated small talk almost as much as she hated seafood. Almost.

* * *

Anakin flopped onto the large King-sized bed and was immediately engulfed in it's depths. His brains was so full of worry for Padmé and confusion about Aleck and so many other things that he highly doubted he'd get to sleep, but the bed was warm and he was tired and without consent his brain shut down and he slipped into a deep sleep.

 _He was running down a long hallway, but he couldn't remember why. Was he running away from something? Or towards something?_

 _Darkness crept up behind him and light was shining brightly ahead. He should run to the light. He could hear people telling him to run to the light, but the light seemed harsh and unforgiving. The darkness seemed inviting, and it whispered to him that it was safe._

 _He kept running away from the darkness, but only halfheartedly. With each step the light grew colder and the darkness grew warmer._

 _Finally realized that he was only running towards the light because that's what the voices wanted. But he craved the darkness more than anything._

 _He stopped running._

 _He succumbed to the darkness._

 _It enveloped him, wrapping tightly around him, but something was wrong. He couldn't breathe, the darkness was choking him._

 _"You're mine now!" It whispered, and it laughed._


	9. Chapter 9

**Heyo! So I realize that I have not done an authors note on this story yet and I apologize. I just get so excited to post the chapter that I forget to do an authors note.**

 **I just wanted to say thanks to all you guys for reading this story! I really appreciate it and it makes my day when someone favs/follows it!**

 **I just wanted to let you readers know that I got an Instagram account (Authorimmapickle) and I will be posting previews of future chapters on it along with a whole ton of Star Wars stuff so feel free to check it out.**

 **Anyways, you're probably bored out of your minds by now so I'll let you get on to the chapter!**

Chapter Nine

Sarah Theeson had been beyond excited to see the Karlind's again; she used to work for them and she and Christian were… close. So when she heard that they were visiting King Arald, she couldn't wait.

That is, until she saw them. She knew Christian's face better than she knew her own, and that imposter was not him. She admitted that the imposters looked remarkably like the Baron and his son, but as soon as she saw his eyes, she knew. Christian and his father shared the same vivid bright green eyes. The imposters eyes were blue and as cold as ice.

"Sarah, it's been a long time since you worked for the Karlind's" Her friend, Beth said, "Perhaps you've just forgetten."

"I could never forget Christian." Sarah replied.

Beth simply rolled her eyes and continued scrubbing the window. Sarah followed suit, but she couldn't get her mind off of Christian.

"Guess what!" Another maid, Mary, said, "I heard that the King brought Christian Karlind here so that he could meet Alyssa!"

Beth snorted, "That's ridiculous. The King isn't a matchmaker."

"They'd make a good couple." Mary replied, "Don't you think Sarah?"

Sarah almost dropped her rag, "No, no they wouldn't."

Beth glanced over her shoulder, "Look who's coming. Christian and Alyssa."

The three maids were quiet as the Baron's son and the King's niece rounded the corner.

"What if we're wrong, what if nothing happens?" Alyssa was saying. Sarah had always admired Alyssa's beauty. The King's niece, as per the tradition of her fathers people, wore a veil over the lower half of her face so that only her eyes showed, but her eyes were a gorgeous striking green that went very nicely with her long blonde hair.

"Oh, hello." Alyssa said when she spotted the maids; the three girls bowed in response, "Sorry if we interrupted you."

Christian smiled at Alyssa, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. He did a series of rapid hand gestures that Sarah interpreted as let's go somewhere else. Alyssa nodded in response and the pair continued walking down the hallway.

"You understand sign language," Beth said to Sarah, "What did he say."

Sarah sighed, "I think they want to be alone together."

Mary smiled, "Looks like the King's plan is working."

Sarah hated to admit it, but Mary was probably right. What she couldn't understand was why someone was pretending to be Christian. What if the imposter wanted to hurt Alyssa? Or worse, the King? Sarah couldn't let that happen.

* * *

Anakin sensed that someone was in his room. He didn't know who, so he opened the door silently so as not to alert the intruder. He breathed a sight of relief as he saw that it was just the maid, but she was digging through his stuff. Anakin raised an eyebrow. The maid hadn't heard him enter and she continued to search through his things.

Anakin raised a hand and knocked on the doorframe causing the young girl to jump.

"Oh!" She hastily turned around, her face turning a bright shade of red, "I'm so sorry, I was just tidying up."

Anakin didn't reply.

"I'll… I'll leave now." She bowed and quickly ducked out of the room. Anakin sighed and closed the door. He would have to inform the King about the nosey maid. If she suspected something, it could send the whole operation tumbling down.

Anakin groaned and sat down on the couch. There were too many things to worry about. He wanted to go to sleep but he was afraid that he'd have that awful dream again. He didn't know what it meant, but he knew that it scared him.

A knock sounded on the door and Anakin was about to say come in before he realized that he was supposed to be mute. If it was one of the place staff, it would be bad for him to blow their cover by speaking, so he stood and answered the door.

"Can we talk?" Aleck asked.

"No."

Aleck ignored him and came into his room anyways, "Too bad."

"What do you want to talk about?" Anakin asked, "Are you going to beg me to forgive you? Do you expect me to just forget that you left mom and me on Tatooine?"

"No," Aleck replied, "but I want to ask you something."

"What?"

"Will you ever trust me?"

Anakin was taken off guard by the question and it took him a few seconds to ponder this. Aleck was a good person. He was a great person, but Anakin was scared to trust him. _What if he leaves? What if he gets hurt and I can't save him? What if he dies just like mom did?_ If Anakin decided to trust Aleck, to let him into his life, then he would have another person that he'd be afraid of losing.

 _Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering._

"No."

Anakin didn't have to look at Aleck to know that he was crushed.

"Okay then. I guess I'll stop trying." Aleck left the room leaving Anakin on his own.

Sometime later there was a soft knock on Anakin's door. He had barely moved since Aleck had left, but when the knock resounded through the room, Anakin moved to answer it. He was pleased and surprised to see Padmé.

"Hi." She said.

He said, "You shouldn't be here."

"I know, but I have something I want to tell you."

Anakin stepped aside and Padmé walked into his room. He closed the door gently behind him and locked it for good measure. If anyone caught Padmé in his room, rumours would start flying around the castle about Senator Amidala and Christen Karlind, and then Padmé's reputation could be compromised.

Padmé took a seat on the couch and Anakin sat next to her.

"What's wrong?" She asked. Anakin was amazed at her ability to tell when something was bothering him. It was almost as if she was force sensitive sometimes.

"Nothing. What did you want to tell me?"

"Anakin," She said sternly, "Tell me."

Anakin sighed, "It's Aleck."

"What about him?"

"He's… Well, he's my father."

Padmé said, "oh."

Anakin continued, "And he wants me to trust him and I guess that he wants a regular father-son relationship, but I just can't. I don't want to trust him, I want to be angry at him for leaving me and mom on Tatooine, but then he acts like he cares so much about me and I want to trust him, but I can't trust that he won't leave again. And what if I do trust him? What if he dies like my mother and I can't save him? I don't want to go through that again. I can't go through that again."

"Anakin," Padmé said softly, "Aleck cares about you, that much is obvious. Don't be afraid to let people in."

"I'm not afraid of letting people in." Anakin replied, "I'm afraid of losing them once I do."

"I know." Padmé said.

"Can we not talk about this anymore?" Anakin asked, "Besides, I thought you had something to tell me?"

Padmé's eyes lit up, "Oh yeah! Anakin I have wonderful news!"

"What? What is it?"

Padmé's eyes were alight with joy as she said, "Ani, I'm pregnant."

 _Ani, I'm pregnant._ The words kept echoing through his head again and again, but his brain couldn't seem to process it, "Pregnant?" He whispered.

Padmé nodded. Anakin sat stunned.

 _I'm going to be a father? I'm going to be a father!_

Joy beyond anything he had ever felt swelled within him and he felt that he was too overwhelmed to speak.

"Ani?" Padmé said, fear creeping into her voice, "Are you okay?"

Anakin nodded, "I'm more than okay, I'm… I'm…" he couldn't find a word to describe how he was feeling, "This is the happiest moment of my life!"

Tears sprang to Padmé's eyes, "We're going to have a baby!"

"How far along are you?" She wasn't showing any signs of being pregnant.

"A month, maybe two."

Anakin smiled brightly for the first time since arriving on Anayta, "We're going to have a baby!"

Fear crept into him and he lowered his voice, "What are we going to do?"

"I don't know…" Padmé replied, "I doubt the Queen will allow me to continue to serve as Senator and if the Council finds out you're the father-"

"I don't care if the Council finds out." Anakin replied, "We can worry about all that later, this is a happy moment."

Padmé smiled, "The happiest moment of my life!"

* * *

Gayzzon peered through the window at the sleeping Senator. Oddly enough, she was in Skywalker's bed with him. The two had talked excitedly about something for a long while before falling asleep on the couch together. Several hours later Skywalker had woken up and moved the Senator to the bed where he had fallen asleep again. _I thought Jedi weren't allowed to form attachments._

Over the past week Gayzzon had been growing impatient. He was tired of hiding; he wanted to strike! But Dimitri had given him strict orders to wait.

" _The longer you wait, the more comfortable they grow."_

Gayzzon sighed. He knew that Dimitri was right, but he had never been good with patience. He was eager for this mission to be over so that he could finally go home to Amma. He was sick of hiding from the Jedi and slinking in the shadows. He just wanted to finally sleep in his own bed and eat regular food again.

 _Soon_. He thought, _It will all be over soon._


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Anakin walked into his closet and scowled. That maid had been through his stuff again. She wouldn't find anything. None of the things he brought with him were actually his, they all belonged to the real Christian Karlind; but it was still incredibly annoying. Anakin grabbed the vest that the maid had haphazardly thrown on the floor and put it on.

"Sir?" A voice called, "Mr Karlind?"

Anakin emerged from the closet to see a young man standing nervously in his room, "Uh, the King wishes to see you." He muttered.

Anakin nodded and signed, _I'll be right there._

The young man looked confused and Anakin realized that he must not know sign language. Anakin grabbed a piece of paper and scrawled a quick message on it, then he handed it to the young man.

"Oh, alright." The young man bowed and walked out. Anakin stuffed the pen he had used into his pocket along with a notebook. Since he was 'mute' it was a good idea to carry a pen and some paper around in case he encountered someone who didn't know sign language. He and Shyreea both knew sign language quite well. They had learned it when they were Padawans and then had used it to secretly talk with each other when they were in lessons.

Anakin exited his room and wandered down the hallways towards the King's office. Padmé's stay with the King was almost over. They would be leaving in two days and there was still no sign of the assassin. Secretly Anakin had begun to think that the assassin would never show itself again, and he was glad. He didn't like the idea of Padmé being in danger.

Anakin reached the King's office and knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Aleck, Obi-Wan, Shyreea, and Padmé were already there along with the King.

"You're late." Obi-Wan said.

 _Sorry_. Anakin signed, noting that there was a maid in the room, _someone was digging through my stuff._

King Arald laughed, "Actually that's why I called you all here. We've been discovered."

"What?" Shyreea cried.

"Sarah." The King said, and the maid stepped forwards, "This is Sarah. She used to work for the Karlind's. She came to me this morning, telling me that there was an imposter."

"My lord," Sarah said, her voice quaking with fear, "I am certain of it. This man," she pointing an accusing finger at Anakin, "is not Christian Karlind."

"I know." Anakin replied and Sarah jumped, "I'm Anakin Skywalker."

Sarah's eyes widened, "Anakin Skywalker?" She asked.

"Yes." Obi-Wan replied, "And I am Obi-Wan Kenobi and this is Shyreea Jade. We are here to protect the Senator."

"Sarah," King Arald said, his voice strict, "You must not tell anyone!"

Sarah nodded, "I promise Your Majesty! And I apologize General Skywalker."

Anakin smiled, "Its okay, you were doing what you thought was right."

Sarah bowed and left the room and the King exhaled in relief, "Well, now that we got that fixed, any news on our assassin?"

The three Jedi and Aleck shook their heads.

"There are no Knights of Amma to be found." Aleck said, "I've even checked the city, there's nothing."

"Our plan isn't working." Shyreea replied, "We wanted to draw out the assassin, but we seem to have scared it away."

* * *

It was well past midnight and Sarah was in the upstairs rooms rekindling the fireplaces. Over the past couple of days the temperatures had plummeted and the castle had cooled down significantly. She was currently in Christian Karlind's room, and his fire was being particularly stubborn.

Sarah couldn't believe that she was mere meters away from the famous Hero With No Fear. Anakin Skywalker was a household name in the galaxy and she never dreamed that she'd be able to meet him. She also had met the famous Negotiator, Obi-Wan Kenobi and she couldn't believe how normal he looked. She had imagined Kenobi and Skywalker to be larger than life heroes, but in reality they were just average human beings.

A gust of cold wind blew out the meagre fire that Sarah had started. She turned around and saw that the balcony doors were open.

 _Were they open when I came in here?_

Sarah crossed the room to close the doors and prevent more of the freezing air from getting in the room. Just as she closed the door, she thought she heard footsteps and she turned around in alarm. Then a hand clamped over her mouth.

"Hello." A sinister voice said, and Sarah could feel the cold metal of a blade pressed against her throat. She screamed.

* * *

Aleck found that he was unable to sleep. His mind was whispering terrible things to him.

 _Anakin knows. That's why he'll never trust you._

 _No_. Aleck thought firmly, _there's no way that Anakin could know._

 _He knows who you are. He knows what you did._

Aleck angrily pushed the thoughts away and fell into a fitful sleep.

A muffled scream awoke Aleck from his sleep and he lay disoriented for a few moments before realizing that the scream came from the direction of Anakin's room. Instantly awake, Aleck bolted out of bed and ran across the hallway to his sons room.

Anakin was on his feet facing Gayzzon. There was a woman lying on the floor, unmoving, and Aleck had the feeling that she would never move again.

"Anakin!" Aleck called a warning, but it was too late. Another Knight of Amma leapt out of the shadows and pressed a needle into Anakin's arm, Anakin swung at her, but it was too late. He slumped to the floor, unconscious.

"Aleck," Gayzzon said, "Long time no see."

"What do you want?" Aleck growled, "You're after the Senator, why are you taking Anakin?"

Gayzzon laughed, "Oh, we're not after the Senator anymore, she's quite safe. We're targeting you."

Aleck scrunched his brow in confusion, "What-" but he didn't finish his sentence because another Knight came swinging out of the shadows.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

The early morning sunlight awoke Aleck and he groaned. His head hurt. Why did his head hurt? Aleck lifted his head and saw that he was lying on the floor in Anakin's room.

 _Why am I in Anakin's room?_ Then the events of the previous night came back to him and Aleck sprang to his feet. There was no sign of any Knights or Anakin, they would be long gone by now.

"Aleck!" Obi-Wan ran into the room closely followed by Shyreea and Padmé, "What happened? Where's Anakin?"

"We were deceived." Aleck said grimly, "They weren't after Padmé. They were after Anakin."

"What?" Obi-Wan cried, "Where is he?"

"They took him. He's probably at their fortress on Amma by now."

"We have to go get him!" Shyreea said.

Aleck nodded, "I agree."

"We'll call in some clones." Obi-Wan said.

"No!" Aleck replied, "I have a better idea."

Shyreea looked sceptical, "What?"

Aleck sighed, "I think it's time for you to learn about my little secret."

* * *

Padmé found that she couldn't sit still. Anakin was gone, taken by those terrible Knights. She felt sick to her stomach, but she couldn't tell if it was morning sickness or if it was the worry gnawing at her. It was probably both.

"Padmé?" Aleck said softly, "We're going to take you back to Coruscant, then we're going to go get Anakin."

Padmé nodded, "Are you sure you can get him out safely?"

"I'm positive." Aleck was silent for a long moment before saying, "You love him don't you?"

Padmé was caught off guard by the question and she didn't reply right away.

Aleck nodded, "He loves you too."

"How can you tell?" Padmé asked in a whisper.

"Don't worry. It's not obvious," Aleck replied, "Call it a fathers intuition."

Padmé smiled at Aleck. She had only known him for a short time, but she was beginning to like her father-in-law. He was a good person and he seemed very trustworthy, "Promise me you'll save him?"

"I promise."

* * *

Anakin awoke in a dark cell that was blisteringly hot. Groaning, he tried to stand, but he found the he was shackled to the floor and the most he could manage was kneeling.

"Morning." A voice said, "or should I say afternoon."

Anakin squinted through the dark to find the source of the voice. A light flashed on and he was temporarily blinded by the brightness, but when his eyes adjusted he saw a man and a woman standing in the doorway.

"You were out for a long time." The man said, "We accidentally gave you too much of the sedative. How do you feel?"

Anakin didn't reply.

"I bet you're wondering why we captured you." The woman said.

"You're working with the separatists?"

"No." The man growled, "We work on our own!" The man reminded Anakin of Aleck, except he was shorter and bulkier. The woman looked like she could be the man's sister. They both shared the same blue eyes and brown hair.

"Then why capture a Jedi Knight and risk having the entire Republic Army looking for you?"

"Aleck." The woman replied, "We want revenge."

"Did you capture him too?"

"No." The man said, "We're not permitted to harm a fellow Knight. We want him to come to us, so we're using you as bait."

"He won't come." Anakin relplied.

"Aleck spent almost twenty years looking for you." The woman responded, "He'll come."

"In the meantime," the man said, "We're going to have some fun."

Anakin raised an eyebrow, "Are you going to torture me?"

"In a sense." The woman said. She procured a needle from her pocket and stepped towards Anakin. Instinctively Anakin pulled away, but the man grabbed his arm, allowing the woman to jab the needle into one of his veins.

"Ouch." Anakin muttered, "That…" His mind was foggy, he couldn't think straight anymore. The man and woman were talking, but their voices were echoing in his mind and suddenly there were four people staring at him.

The cell disappeared along with the man and woman. Anakin was standing on a landing platform on a lava planet. A Naboo cruiser landed on the platform and a very pregnant Padmé ran out of it into his arms.

"I saw your ship." He said, "What are you doing out here?"

"I was so worried about you." She replied, he eyes brimming with tears, "Obi-Wan told me terrible things."

Anger flashed through him, "What things?"

"He said… you turned to the dark side!" She replied, her voice choked with emotion, "That you… you killed younglings!"

"Obi-Wan is trying to turn you against me." Anakin didn't understand what was happening. His mouth was moving without his consent, as was his body. _I didn't kill younglings! I would never turn to the dark side! Why did Obi-Wan say that?_

Padmé shook her head, "He cares about us."

"Us?"

"He knows. He wants to help you!"

How could he know? What is happening?

"Anakin," Padmé said, her voice taking on a begging tone, "All I want is your love."

"Love won't save you Padmé." _Save you from what?_ "Only my new powers can do that." New powers?

"At what cost?" She asked, "You're a good person! Don't do this!"

"I won't lose you the way I lost my mother." Anakin replied, "I am becoming more powerful than any Jedi has ever dreamed of! And I'm doing for you, to protect you."

Padmé shook her head, "Come away with me, help me raise our child! Leave everything else behind while we still can!"

"Don't you see?" Anakin asked, "We don't have to run away anymore! I have brought peace to the Republic! I am more powerful than the Chancellor, I can overthrow him!" _Why would I want to overthrow the Chancellor, he is my friend!_ "And together you and I can rule the Galaxy! Make things the way we want them to be!"

Padmé backed away from him, fear evident in her eyes. Anakin wanted to yell to her, _Don't listen! Don't listen to him! I will run away with you Padmé! We will raise our child together!_ But nothing came out of his mouth and Anakin was left to watch in horror as Padmé said, "I don't believe what I'm hearing. Obi-Wan was right! You've changed!"

"I don't want to hear any more about Obi-Wan." He said, "The Jedi turned against me!" _No they didn't!_ "Don't you turn against me!"

Padmé's angelic face was filled with hurt, "I don't know you anymore." She said, "Anakin, you're breaking my heart! You're going down a path I can't follow!"

"Because of Obi-Wan."

"Because of what you've done!" She cried, "What you plan to do! Stop! Stop now! Come back! I love you!"

Anakin looked behind her and saw Obi-Wan standing in her ship, "Liar!" He yelled. _No! Padmé! I love you! Don't listen to him!_

Padmé glanced back at Obi-Wan, "No!" She said desperately.

"You're with him!" Anakin yelled, "You brought him here to kill me!" _Obi-Wan wouldn't kill me!_ Anakin desperately tried to gain control of his body, but to no avail. He raised his hand and began to force choke Padmé. _NO!_

"Let her go Anakin!" Obi-Wan said, walking down the ramp of the ship, "Let. Her. Go."

Anakin released his grip on Padmé. _Padmé!_ Anakin reached out through the force to see if she was okay. She was still alive, even though she was unconscious.

"You turned her against me!" Anakin yelled.

"You have done that yourself." Obi-Wan replied.

Anakin threw off his cloak. _No! Don't fight Obi-Wan!_ "You will not take her from me!"

Obi-Wan also thew off his cloak, "Your anger and your lust for power have already done that."

 _I don't want power! I want control of my body!_

"You have allowed this Dark Lord to twist your mind until now," Obi-Wan said, "Until now you have become the very thing you swore to destroy."

 _I'm a Sith? No! Never!_

"Don't lecture me Obi-Wan. I see through the lies of the Jedi!" Anakin said. _What lies?_ "I do not fear the dark side as you do! I have brought peace, freedom, justice and security to my new empire!"

"Your new empire?"

"Don't make me kill you." _No! I would never fight Obi-Wan!_

"Anakin, my allegiance is to the Republic. To democracy!"

"If you're not with me," Anakin said, "then you're my enemy."

"Only a Sith deals in absolutes." _I'm not a Sith!_ "I will do what I must."

"You will try."

 _NO!_ Anakin was screaming, but no one could hear him. He heard Obi-Wan's lightsaber ignite. _DON'T FIGHT HIM!_

But he had no control over his body and he leapt through the air at his best friend.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

"I've never seen anyone react this way to the serum before." Gayzzon said, looking through the window at the Jedi writhing on the ground.

"We've never given the serum to a force sensitive being before." Dimitri replied coolly, "It may work differently on them."

"But all the other victims were in a comatose state," Gayzzon continued, "He's not." As if on cue the boy let out a tortured scream; one that continued on far longer than Gayzzon would've liked.

"He's in pain!" Gayzzon cried as the scream turned to whimpers, "What if he dies?"

"Are you feeling compassion?" Dimitri asked, turning his lifeless eyes on Gayzzon.

"No, no!" Gayzzon replied, "It's just… are you sure the Master wants this?"

Dimitri did not reply for a long time and Gayzzon was left to listen to the Jedi's tortured screams.

"No! NO!" He cried, "I don't hate you! I don't!"

"The Master is not here right now." Dimitri finally replied, his voice soft and cold, "He left me in charge."

It suddenly dawned on him, "The Master doesn't know you're hunting Aleck Skywalker, does he?"

"Just tell me when the boy wakes up." Dimitri said, then he turned and stalked away.

Gayzzon watched as Dimitri disappeared into the shadows and he couldn't help but wonder if the Master would approve.

* * *

Anakin awoke gasping in his cell, or at least he hoped it was his cell. Anakin could still fell the pain in his arm and legs, and he could still feel the fire licking his body. The pain had been unbearable, but not as bad as hearing Obi-Wan yelling at him.

" _You were the chosen one! You were meant to destroy the Sith, not join them! Bring balance to the force, not leave it in darkness!"_

" _I hate you!"_

" _You were my brother Anakin. I loved you."_

Anakin curled into a ball. He was scared. More scared than he could ever remember being. Not because of the pain, or the fight with Obi-Wan, but because of how real it was. Anakin knew that he would do anything to save Padmé, even become a Sith and that's what scared him. What if this was his future? What if he was destined to become the thing he swore to destroy?

The door to his cell creaked open and someone walked in. Anakin curled tighter into a ball. He didn't want them giving him any more of that terrible stuff, he couldn't endure that again.

"Anakin?"

Anakin rolled over and saw Aleck looking lovingly at him, "Aleck? How did you-"

"Can you stand?" Aleck asked. Anakin feebly nodded and Aleck pulled him to his feet, "Come on, we have to go."

"Aleck," Anakin followed him out of the cell and down the hallway, "How did you get in here?"

"That doesn't matter." Aleck pushed open a door and Anakin stepped into the bright sunlight. They were standing on an outdoor stage surrounded by black and red clad men and women.

"Thank you Aleck." A man said as Aleck grabbed Anakin's arm and threw him to the ground.

"My pleasure Dimitri." Aleck replied, his voice losing all kindness.

Dimitri knelt in front on Anakin, "And now, you die." Two Knights grabbed Anakin and fastened him to a pole.

"Aleck?" Anakin cried, "You're working with them?"

Aleck laughed, "Of course. Did you actually think that I cared about you? No! I was glad when the Enslavers took you and your mother away. I was happy to let the two of you die on Tatooine."

"No." Anakin murmured, because despite his best efforts, he had begun to care for Aleck. Anger swelled within him and his bonds broke. Cracks appeared in the stage all around him and he could hear glass shattering. Anakin was pleased to see Aleck's eyes grow wide with fear.

 _Kill_ _him!_ A sinister voice whispered in his mind, and he obliged.


	13. Chapter 13

**Heyo! I am very sorry to inform you that it will be a few weeks until I post again, I am going on vacation and will not have time to write. Enjoy the chapter and I will see you in a few weeks!**

Chapter Thirteen

Gasping, Anakin sat up. He was still in his cell. Anakin hadn't killed Aleck, it had all been part of that terrible stuff the Knights had given him. Anakin vaguely wondered if he was about to endure another torturous vision, but nothing happened.

Anakin drew his knees to his chest. The visions had scared him. They had shown him what he was capable of doing; he could become a monster, and that knowledge terrified him.

"Do you think he's okay?" A voice whispered. Anakin snapped his head up and saw the man and woman who had given him the terrible visions. He hadn't heard them enter the cell.

"What did you do to me?" He asked, his voice low.

"We gave you a serum that's supposed to show you your worst fears." The woman replied.

"You were thrashing and screaming." The man whispered, "We thought you were going to die."

"Me too." Anakin admitted quietly.

The woman placed a hand on Anakin's shoulder, "I'm glad you didn't."

Anakin jerked away from her, "Why do you care?" He spat.

The woman exchanged a fearful look with the man, then she took a deep breath, "I'm Jayda, and this is my brother Carsh."

" _I have siblings?" He cried._

 _"Had. Jayda and Carsh were killed when you were just a baby." Aleck replied._

"This is another one of those visions, isn't it?" Anakin asked.

Jayda shook her head, "No, you're awake."

"I don't understand." Anakin replied, "Aleck said you were dead!"

Carsh's eyes widened in shock, "You've met Dad?"

Anakin nodded, "Yeah, and he told me that you both were killed!"

"He probably thought we were." Jayda replied, "The Knights of Amma took us when I was seven and Carsh was five. Under normal circumstances they would've killed us, but the Master wanted revenge against Aleck for what he did to the Knights."

"What exactly did he do?" Anakin asked.

Carsh shrugged, "Nobody told us. All we know is that Dad would've hated to have his own children become Knights, so they made us Knights."

"Why didn't they take me?" Anakin asked.

"I think Mom and Dad hid you." Jayda replied, "But they have you now and once they have Aleck they're going to make him watch you die slowly and painfully."

"Are they going to give me more of that serum?" Anakin asked fearfully.

Jayda's eyes were full of sympathy, "Probably. I'm so sorry, I didn't know what the serum would do to you."

Anakin shuddered.

"What did the serum show you?" Carsh asked, "it sounded like you were in a lot of pain."

"I was." Anakin replied softly, "It showed me a monster."

"Jayda!" A young man with black hair and a large burn scar across his face appeared in the doorway, "Dimitri wants you to give him more of the serum."

"Why?" Jayda's voice was harsh and she stepped protectively in front of Anakin.

The young man shrugged, "Because Dimitri said so."

"Gayzzon," Jayda's voice took on a pleading tone, "Please don't put him through that again."

"Too bad." Gayzzon pulled a needle from his pocket and advanced towards Anakin.

"No!" Anakin struggled to get away, but he was still shackled to the floor. Gayzzon grabbed his arm and injected the serum. His thoughts were growing foggy again and the room was spinning. He didn't know if the knot in his stomach was from fear or from the serum.

"No…" He murmured as he slumped to the floor, "Please… no…"

* * *

Gayzzon dropped Anakin's arm and the Jedi fell unconscious to the floor. He glanced over at Jayda and saw that her eyes were seething with anger.

"Monster." She growled.

"We're Knights of Amma." Gayzzon replied, "We're all monsters."

Carsh stood and glared at Gayzzon, "Jayda and I are not true Knights of Amma. We didn't chose this."

Gayzzon shrugged, "Neither did I."

"You just always have to do whatever Dimitri says don't you?" Jayda spat.

Gayzzon turned and left the cell and the two siblings followed him, "Dimitri is second in command. His orders come from the Master. Besides, why do you care for this Jedi?" Gayzzon felt a new emotion welling in him; one that he was certain he'd never felt before. It happened when Jayda had defended the Jedi.

"He's Aleck Skywalker's son." Jayda replied as if it were obvious.

"So?" _Did she_ care _about Anakin Skywalker?_

Carsh rolled his eyes, "He's our _brother_ you dimwit!"

"Oh!" Gayzzon felt ridiculous and suddenly he was very self-conscious of the fact that Jayda had witnessed his momentary memory-lapse.

A scream shattered the air and Jayda jerked back into the cell, Carsh following closely on her heels. Gayzzon followed at a slower pace. He hated to see the boy in so much pain. He followed Dimitri's orders, but that didn't necessarily mean he _liked_ them. Suddenly Carsh remembered his earlier conversation with Dimitri.

"I…" He began uncertainly, "I don't think Dimitri is doing this on the Master's orders. I think he's following a personal agenda."

"What?" Jayda asked, "Why?"

"Aleck Skywalker almost killed him." Gayzzon continued, "Besides, the Master would never approve of us torturing an innocent person."

Jayda exchanged a glance with Carsh and they seemed to have a silent conversation.

"You're crazy." Carsh said, "It'll never work."

Jayda shrugged, "We have to try. For Father's sake."

"Try what?" Gayzzon asked.

Jayda looked at him, "Can I trust you not to go running off to Dimitri?"

"Uh… yes?"

"We're going to break Anakin out."

Gayzzon wanted immediately to bolt to Dimitri, but he restrained himself. Jayda would never forgive him if he did, and Gayzzon wasn't sure if he could live with himself if Jayda hated him. If freeing Jayda's brother would win him her trust, then he would do it. He would do anything for Jayda.

"Gayzzon?" Carsh said hesitantly.

"We'll have to wait for the serum to wear off," Gayzzon replied, "I'm on guard duty tonight; the midnight to four shift, we can get him out then."

Jayda's face split into a bright smile, "Thank you!" She said, "We'll find a way to repay you!"

"You don't have to repay me." Gayzzon replied. Seeing Jayda smile at him was payment enough.


End file.
